Saskatchewan news roundup: Jan. 12 -SK

Sonntag urges Ottawa to reject weaker bylaws

The federal government is being urged to reject First Nations smoking bylaws that are not as tough as the provincewide ban on smoking in public places.

Band councils can pass their own bylaws under the Indian Act, but the federal minister of Indian Affairs has the power to veto them.

Maynard Sonntag, minister for First Nations and Metis Relations, says the federal government should not approve the weaker bylaws when they are submitted.

The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations indicated in December that First Nations would be unlikely to follow the smoking ban in native-run casinos. (The StarPhoenix)

Maynard Sonntag said he'd like federal Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Andy Scott to say no to bylaws that would allow smoking on First Nations' casinos in Saskatchewan.

The provincial government has banned smoking in all public places, beginning Jan. 1.

However, aboriginal leaders say that law doesn't apply in casinos on their land. The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations has said bands will write their own laws, but it won't necessarily mean total smoking bans.

Sonntag said because band bylaws need approval from the federal minister, he's counting on Ottawa to refuse.

"Absolutely. I mean, I've been of that view for quite some time," Sonntag said. "It would be the honourable thing to do on a important health issue like this."

Sonntag wouldn't speculate on what might happen if First Nations' casinos do allow smoking.

But he did say he would prefer the same rules for all Saskatchewan businesses.

Indian leaders say the smoking ban infringes on their jurisdiction

The Saskatchewan hotel industry says if smoking is allowed in casinos, it wants the government to reconsider the use of ventilated smoking rooms in their businesses.

http://sask.cbc.ca/regionalnews/caches/first-nations-smoking050112.html

 Editorials Tuesday, January 11, 2005 
            . National anthem serves to exclude many Canadians 
        While we applaud the efforts of the various levels of government and our local health unit to provide incentives to help people quit smoking, we wonder at the logic of using a gas-guzzling muscle car as the prize in Ontario Quit Smoking 2005.
        Participants must go smoke-free from Feb. 1 to March 1 to be eligible to win.
        Cars not only encourage people to be less active and, therefore, less healthy, they pollute the air we all breathe. This opportunity could have been used not only to promote the health benefits of going smoke-free but also to promote the benefits to all Ontarians of using less polluting means of transportation by at least making the prize a fuel-efficient vehicle (or, better yet, a bicycle).
        There are cars with internal combustion engines on the market that use as little as 6.7 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres in the city and 5.2 litres/100 kilometres on the highway. On average, a vehicle with this kind of fuel efficiency would produce 2,880 kilograms of carbon-dioxide emissions annually.
        In fact, the hybrid vehicles on the market that combine electric and internal combustion engines are twice as efficient as other cars their size.
        The muscle car being given away in the stop smoking contest has a 4.6-litre, V8 engine and uses 13.3 litres/100 kilometres in the city and 9.2 litres/100 kilometres on the highway and produces 5,471 kilograms of carbon-dioxide emissions per year.
        Granted, the natural North American appeal of a muscle car makes for an attractive prize, but organizers should realize even North American automakers have discovered that the public wants green cars. In fact, a hybrid SUV garnered the award as 2004 North American Truck of
the Year at the North American auto show in Detroit this week.
        As vehicles are a contributing factor in the poor quality of our air, it reminds us that air pollution, like smoking, kills people, too.
        According to the government of Ontario, smoking-related illnesses kill about 16,000 people a year and patients with tobacco-related diseases occupy more than 500,000 hospital days each year at a cost of $1.7 billion to our health-care system and $2.6 billion in lost productivity annually.
        Health Canada, the Ontario Health Ministry and local health units tell us that air pollution is becoming increasingly dangerous to our health, especially in heavily populated southern Ontario.
        The Ontario Medical Association estimates that air pollution  leads to nearly 1,900 premature deaths in the province, 10,000 hospital  admissions, 13,000 emergency room visits and 47 million sick days for employees in the province each year and costs Ontario citizens roughly $1 billion dollars per year due to hospital admissions, emergency room visits and absenteeism.
        All levels of governments, from municipal to federal, work  towards getting people to butt out and are slowly waking up to the dire  realities of air pollution and the effects it has on our health and the health of environment, which makes the choice of the muscle car in lieu of something much more green seem curious and more than a little ironic.
        Ultimately, in a publicly funded health-care system, any efforts to get people to quit smoking benefit us all, but perhaps a little more thought should have gone into the message sent by the prize.
http://stratfordbeaconherald.com/

SELDOM, IF EVER, do you see a government placing full-page advertisements in newspapers large and small. Yet that was what happened in the Christmas issues of Ontario's papers.

In case you missed it (and it's hard to believe anyone did) the ad included a green logo, Smoke Free Ontario, and the catchy heading, STOPPING THE NUMBER ONE KILLER IN ONTARIO.

Those who didn't read further might have suspected it was all about cancer or heart disease. Although it could be argued that both are involved, the reality is that the ad dealt with the McGuinty government's plan to introduce a single law that would replace the current hodge podge of municipal laws designed to reduce or eliminate smoking in public places.

As matters stand, some municipalities have come a long way in this regard, Dufferin among them. Gone are the days when the first question patrons faced on entering their favourite eatery was, "Smoking or non-smoking," and on saying "Non-smoking, please," being advised that unfortunately none was available. (Actually, before Dufferin finally moved on the issue, there were still some restaurants where ashtrays adorned every table!)

Unusual as it was for the government to spend so much on informational advertising, it was doubly unusual to see that the message conveyed dealt with legislation which has not yet been enacted, and may never be in its present form.

In the circumstances, it's pretty clear that the ad was designed, among other things, to stimulate public discussion of the issue.

That has already begun to happen, our check of an Internet database confirming that there has indeed been a deluge of letters to the editor on the subject, and even the occasional editorial.

Take for example, the one published in The Toronto Sun, which struck us as amazingly balanced for the Grit-trashing tabloid.

"We laughed when they tried to ban sushi," it began. "But this time they're serious.

"The Ontario Liberals campaigned on a promise to ban smoking virtually everywhere in the great indoors, and by George (Smitherman), they're going to do it.

"In case you missed it in the pre-Christmas rush, the Liberals have indeed acted on their promise and launched legislation just over a week ago that will ban smoking everywhere but in private homes - and in some cases, such as in homes that house daycare operations, they'll ban it there, too.

"Health Minister Smitherman reminds us it's all for the good of our health - more Ontarians die each year from smoking than AIDS, traffic accidents and alcohol combined, etc. Fine - we don't dispute that (although given the enormous tax revenue the province rakes in on smokes, it could do more to help smokers quit).

"In fact, we don't even dispute the strict measures wiping out smoking in all workplaces - after all, no one should be forced to risk lung cancer at work.

"But two areas of Smitherman's law go too far.

"First, it will ban smoking even in separately ventilated smoking rooms - which many bars and restaurants built expressly to conform to previous legislation, at considerable cost.

"This hardly seems fair. After all, these are places where adult smokers go voluntarily to partake in a legal product. No one's forced to be there. So what's the problem?

"Second, there's the related proposal to ban smoking in Legions. Sorry, George, but that's where we draw the line. If our war veterans want to smoke in their private clubs, who are you to tell them they can't?

"Let the vets use the freedom they fought for to decide their own policy.

"In fact, the Ontario Provincial Command of the Royal Canadian Legion isn't even asking for a full exemption from the ban - only that they be allowed to have separate, ventilated smoking rooms (in those Legions that can afford to build them). That's more than reasonable.

"But then, 'reasonable' and Smitherman are two words that rarely appear in the same sentence. In a government rapidly becoming known for nannying, he's Mary Poppins. Still, he did see reason on the sushi thing, eventually.

"Is smoking 'stupid,' as the government's trendy new campaign puts it? Sure - but we can't say much better for this unwarranted bullying of businesses and veterans."

For once, the Sun was fairly close to the mark, zeroing in on two areas where there's bound to be a lot of controversy.

We would be inclined to go part way, and suspect the government may, too.

Clearly, restaurants and bars that have spent a lot on establishing separately ventilated smoking areas ought to get special treatment, perhaps by giving them several years to comply with the total ban.

However, we still have a problem with the resultant requirement for staff in such places to enter these smoke-filled areas to serve the patrons. Clearly, they will be facing a lot more second-hand smoke than they encountered when part of the place was designated as non-smoking.

And the same could be said of the Sun''s "solution" for Legion halls. Concentrating all the smoke in one area will certainly make the air safer for the non-smoking Legionaires, but not for a staff member required to enter the smoking room.

Whatever the case, we've come a long way and it's interesting to see an Ontario government moving almost as far as the NDP regime in Saskatchewan, which is trying to ban even brand-name advertising displays on tobacco counters.

Now, what's really needed is some action in Hollywood, in the form of an end to the practice of having the big-name stars routinely indulging in the nicotine habit on screen - a practice so clearly aimed at the younger generation.

http://www.citizen.on.ca/editorial.html

Making Gatineau a smoke-free city has been a goal of Mayor Yves Ducharme for several years. But he has always maintained it was up to the province to take a stand.

Ducharme says Quebec's announcement is good news for the entire province.

About one in four people over the age of 15 smokes in Quebec. In the rest of Canada, it's one in five.

Right now, Quebec allows unlimited smoking in bars.

Health Minister Philippe Couillard wants to ban smoking from bars, restaurants, school grounds, and government buildings.

http://ottawa.cbc.ca/regionalnews/caches/ot-que-smoking20050112.html

The McGuinty government put forward legislation this week to ban smoking in all workplaces and indoor public areas.

But just days after the bill was introduced there are numerous calls for exemptions.

Social Services Minister Sandra Pupatello has called for an exemption for Windsor and Niagara because they are border communities.

Their casinos and other entertainment venues might be badly hurt by a smoking ban, she says.

Health Minister George Smitherman says he's willing to consider allowing smoking on stages and in film studios.

He concedes an exemption might be needed to allow smoking that is part of the action in a film or in a play. Related link: Ontario proposes strict new smoking laws

And the law won't be applied in First Nations without their co-operation. That has triggered a debate among aboriginal leaders on whether to allow smoking.

Peter Collins, Chief of the Fort William First Nation, located just outside Thunder Bay, says smoking will be permitted in his community.

Most restaurants permit smoking, as does the community bingo hall.

"We believe in economics. A lot of smokers love to come to bingos. It's part of our economics in Fort William," he says.

But another aboriginal leader wants northern First Nations to voluntarily join the province-wide ban on smoking.

Stan Beardy, Grand Chief of Nishnawbe-Aski Nation, says it's a tragedy that so many native people are dying of the effects of tobacco.

"We have major cases, huge numbers of my people having cancer, lung cancer, heart disease. I think a lot of these can be connected directly to smoking."

He says health concerns should outweigh any economic factors.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Health says the province recognizes First Nation communities don't have to accept the anti-smoking ban, if and when it becomes law.

But the ministry plans to work with native leaders to address the issue of smoking as part of a culturally appropriate aboriginal health strategy.

http://toronto.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/PrintStory?filename=tor-smoking-law-041217&region=Toronto

When he announced the Province's tough new smoking legislation last week, Health Minister George Smitherman triumphantly stated that, "unless Ontarians want to be exposed to cigarette smoke, they won't be."

The fact that smoking will soon be banned in casinos, legion halls and enclosed patios, in addition to bars, restaurants and all other indoor public places, means this is probably true.

But as someone who regularly loses her breath to asthma and allergies, I have to say that this doesn't offer me much peace of mind. Despite hysterical accounts of second-hand smoke invading people's lungs as they eat dinner, enjoy a pint or gamble the night away, cigarettes have always been the last thing to leave me breathless.

In the distant smoke-filled past, if I wanted to avoid the ominous blue haze, I made sure to frequent restaurants with good ventilation and sit as far away from the smoking section as possible. I avoided tiny cramped pubs, sat on open patios in the summer, and asked friends and acquaintances to roll the windows down when smoking in a car.

Yes, I'm sure there were trace amounts of smoke attacking my lungs all the while, but for the most part, unless I wanted to be exposed to cigarette smoke, I wasn't.

As it turns out, avoiding car exhaust fumes and deadly industrial emissions, isn't as easy. On smoggy summer days, there is no bylaw-enforced refuge from the dense brown smog that often leaves me gasping for air. Whether inside or outside, at a bar or in a car, there is no escape.

But this, according to the government, is something we can live with. Cigarette smoke is not.

Is it because bar owners, convenience store owners and legion members are a little easier to bully than the industry big shots behind the factories? Is it more convenient to make an example of smokers, stupidly jeopardizing their own health, than car owners, who make up the vast majority of the population?

The next time I'm forced to catch my breath while taking a summer stroll, I guarantee you that the sight of smokers banished to patios and doorways, won't make me breathe any easier.

Reporter Jillian Follert's column appears every other Friday.

http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/voices/column/story/2445563p-2832466c.html

4th National Conference on Tobacco or Health
http://www.4ncth.ca
The 4th National Conference on Tobacco or Health, convened by the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control, will be held June 19-22 in Ottawa, Ontario. Whether your interests lie in cessation, prevention, denormalization, health promotion, harm reduction, legislation/taxation or advocacy, this conference will have something for you.

January 12, 2005

Progressing toward a tobacco free Québec; Developing Québec Anti-Tobacco Legislation; Consultation document
http://ftp.msss.gouv.qc.ca/... http://ftp.msss.gouv.qc.ca/publications/acrobat/f/documentation/2004/04-006-07a.pdf
Quebec Health Minister is launching a consultation process on how they can strengthen the tobacco law. For this he is proposing a consultation document that includes smoking restrictions in all public places, school properties, multi-dwelling buildings (2 to 12), point of sales, and other issues. You will find below the press release and a sample of the media coverage of this announcement.
 

January 11, 2005

Health experts to ask Federal Court to compel the Competition Bureau to act
http://www.nsra-adnf.ca/...
A group of health officials announced that they will take legal action to force the federal Competition Bureau to deal with their 18-month-old complaint about the ‘light’ and ‘mild’ cigarette consumer fraud. The group, including medical officers and professors of public health, filed a two-volume, 600-page complaint with the Bureau in June of 2003. To date, the agency has failed to act in response to the group’s concerns.

http://www.ncth.ca/ncth_new.nsf/MAINframeset?OpenFrameSet&Frame=BodyFrame&Src=http://www.ncth.ca/ncth_new.nsf/Docs

/DirectLink~What'sNew?openDocument

Manitoba-

All-Party Task Force

With the intention of soliciting opinions and input from Manitobans on the issue of smoking in public places, Minister of Health Dave Chomiak (Kildonan) recently struck an All-Party Task Force to examine how to deal with environmental tobacco smoke in public and work places.  The Committee will conduct public hearings, accept written submissions and analyze policies aimed at reducing exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.

This initiative grew out of a Private Member's Bill introduced last session by Denis Rocan (Carman).  With the unanimous consent of the House, the Bill was held over from the third to the fourth session of the 37th Legislature.  During debate on Second Reading of the Bill last fall, Minister Chomiak first suggested that an all-party committee might study the issue further.  This idea came to fruition in the form of the Task Force.

The Task Force consists of four government MLAs, two MLAs from the official opposition, and the Liberal MLA.  The first public hearings were held in Virden and Brandon in April 2003, with more public hearings planned across the province in the future.  While no further meetings have been scheduled due to the general election, the Task Force plans to resume its work later this year.

http://www.parl.gc.ca/infoparl/english/issue.htm?param=58&art=1093

Ontario facing demands for exemptions from smoking law -ON
Friday, Dec 17, 2004

The McGuinty government put forward legislation this week to ban smoking in all workplaces and indoor public areas.

But just days after the bill was introduced there are numerous calls for exemptions.

Social Services Minister Sandra Pupatello has called for an exemption for Windsor and Niagara because they are border communities.

Their casinos and other entertainment venues might be badly hurt by a smoking ban, she says.

Health Minister George Smitherman says he's willing to consider allowing smoking on stages and in film studios.

He concedes an exemption might be needed to allow smoking that is part of the action in a film or in a play. Related link: Ontario proposes strict new smoking laws

And the law won't be applied in First Nations without their co-operation. That has triggered a debate among aboriginal leaders on whether to allow smoking.

Peter Collins, Chief of the Fort William First Nation, located just outside Thunder Bay, says smoking will be permitted in his community.

Most restaurants permit smoking, as does the community bingo hall.

"We believe in economics. A lot of smokers love to come to bingos. It's part of our economics in Fort William," he says.

But another aboriginal leader wants northern First Nations to voluntarily join the province-wide ban on smoking.

Stan Beardy, Grand Chief of Nishnawbe-Aski Nation, says it's a tragedy that so many native people are dying of the effects of tobacco.

"We have major cases, huge numbers of my people having cancer, lung cancer, heart disease. I think a lot of these can be connected directly to smoking."

He says health concerns should outweigh any economic factors.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Health says the province recognizes First Nation communities don't have to accept the anti-smoking ban, if and when it becomes law.

But the ministry plans to work with native leaders to address the issue of smoking as part of a culturally appropriate aboriginal health strategy.

http://toronto.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/PrintStory?filename=tor-smoking-law-041217&region=Toronto

Not breathing any easier
Dec 23, 2004

When he announced the Province's tough new smoking legislation last week, Health Minister George Smitherman triumphantly stated that, "unless Ontarians want to be exposed to cigarette smoke, they won't be."

The fact that smoking will soon be banned in casinos, legion halls and enclosed patios, in addition to bars, restaurants and all other indoor public places, means this is probably true.

But as someone who regularly loses her breath to asthma and allergies, I have to say that this doesn't offer me much peace of mind. Despite hysterical accounts of second-hand smoke invading people's lungs as they eat dinner, enjoy a pint or gamble the night away, cigarettes have always been the last thing to leave me breathless.

In the distant smoke-filled past, if I wanted to avoid the ominous blue haze, I made sure to frequent restaurants with good ventilation and sit as far away from the smoking section as possible. I avoided tiny cramped pubs, sat on open patios in the summer, and asked friends and acquaintances to roll the windows down when smoking in a car.

Yes, I'm sure there were trace amounts of smoke attacking my lungs all the while, but for the most part, unless I wanted to be exposed to cigarette smoke, I wasn't.

As it turns out, avoiding car exhaust fumes and deadly industrial emissions, isn't as easy. On smoggy summer days, there is no bylaw-enforced refuge from the dense brown smog that often leaves me gasping for air. Whether inside or outside, at a bar or in a car, there is no escape.

But this, according to the government, is something we can live with. Cigarette smoke is not.

Is it because bar owners, convenience store owners and legion members are a little easier to bully than the industry big shots behind the factories? Is it more convenient to make an example of smokers, stupidly jeopardizing their own health, than car owners, who make up the vast majority of the population?

The next time I'm forced to catch my breath while taking a summer stroll, I guarantee you that the sight of smokers banished to patios and doorways, won't make me breathe any easier.

Reporter Jillian Follert's column appears every other Friday.

http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/voices/column/story/2445563p-2832466c.html

June 19-22, 2005

4th National Conference on Tobacco or Health
http://www.4ncth.ca
The 4th National Conference on Tobacco or Health, convened by the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control, will be held June 19-22 in Ottawa, Ontario. Whether your interests lie in cessation, prevention, denormalization, health promotion, harm reduction, legislation/taxation or advocacy, this conference will have something for you.

January 12, 2005

Progressing toward a tobacco free Québec; Developing Québec Anti-Tobacco Legislation; Consultation document
http://ftp.msss.gouv.qc.ca/... http://ftp.msss.gouv.qc.ca/publications/acrobat/f/documentation/2004/04-006-07a.pdf
Quebec Health Minister is launching a consultation process on how they can strengthen the tobacco law. For this he is proposing a consultation document that includes smoking restrictions in all public places, school properties, multi-dwelling buildings (2 to 12), point of sales, and other issues. You will find below the press release and a sample of the media coverage of this announcement.
 

January 11, 2005

Health experts to ask Federal Court to compel the Competition Bureau to act
http://www.nsra-adnf.ca/...
A group of health officials announced that they will take legal action to force the federal Competition Bureau to deal with their 18-month-old complaint about the ‘light’ and ‘mild’ cigarette consumer fraud. The group, including medical officers and professors of public health, filed a two-volume, 600-page complaint with the Bureau in June of 2003. To date, the agency has failed to act in response to the group’s concerns.

http://www.ncth.ca/ncth_new.nsf/MAINframeset?OpenFrameSet&Frame=BodyFrame&Src=http://www.ncth.ca/ncth_new.nsf/Docs

/DirectLink~What'sNew?openDocument

Future Debates: “There’s Still a Long Way to Go, Baby…”
http://www.nsra-adnf.ca/news_info.php?cPath=53&news_id=198&PHPSESSID=7d09ef7ffe56ef97996f5e9cd7711d0b

COALITION AGAINST TOBACCO TAX EVASION

FOR RELEASE, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2003

TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR OTTAWA TO SUE ‘BIG TOBACCO’ OVER ALLEGED TOBACCO SMUGGLING FRAUD

Billions in cigarette taxes at stake says new coalition

Minister of Justice and Attorney General Martin Cauchon’s department is not revealing any date when it believes its right to sue expires. “Those who work in tobacco control and follow this issue know that the limitations deadline is, at best, a few short weeks away,” said Garfield Mahood, Executive Director of the Non-Smokers’ Rights Association.

http://www.nsra-adnf.ca/news_info.php?cPath=0&news_id=213&PHPSESSID=848e76ab95416e65e987a95b41c34861

MAC NEETING ACCORDING TO GOV'T

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/tobacco/council/advisorycouncil_meeting.html

andThe Ethic of Reciprocity in First Nations Research

 Herman Michell

Conclusion and Recommendations

In conclusion, I have demonstrated the cultural and spiritual significance of tobacco in Cree and other indigenous cultures in this paper. More importantly, I have highlighted the error made by University of British Columbia Ethics Review Committee in their decision not to allow me to use it as part of my research methodology. Offering tobacco in exchange for stories is a recognized and legitimate Cree cultural protocol that expresses and adheres to the Ethic of Reciprocity and value of respect. The error made by the Ethics Review Committee appears racist as it mirrors a time when First Nations cultural practices were prohibited in Canada. According to University of British Columbia professor and co-director of the Ts"Kel graduate program, Dr. Calliou (1995), "racism is physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually draining to both sender and receiver" and that it "legitimates military, political, social, legislative, individual, or other acts of dehumanization" (p.57).

http://simonraven.nuit.ca/tobacco-2.shtml

Jan 5, 2005
On behalf of the Halton Council on Smoking or Health, a group of health professionals, parents and community members in Halton, we are writing to express our disappointment with the Oakville Beaver, our local newspaper, for an article that appeared on Dec. 10, 2004 titled Smokers' rights group makes noise with Web site with quotes from the president of the smokers' rights association.

We appreciate that you provided both sides of the story however, from the reader's perspective, it appears as if the Oakville Beaver is supporting the mychoice.ca Web site. Why promote a group that supports tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure, which causes over 45,000 people each year to die in Canada?

The article stated that having a zero exposure level to cigarette smoke is "ridiculous". When tobacco remains the No. 1 cause of preventable death in Canada, how can one argue that it is OK to be exposed to cigarette smoke? Nothing about being exposed to cigarette smoke is funny. The fact is, that there is no safe level of exposure to smoke set anywhere in the world. According to Health Canada (2004) tobacco use kills more than 16,000 people each year in Ontario alone.

Mychoice.ca is a Web site that claims to support the rights of smokers, when in fact it does nothing more than promote the agenda of big tobacco manufacturing companies. Groups such as these are shifting the debate about second-hand smoke exposure away from the real health issue. This should not be a debate about rights and freedoms -- the paramount reason why restrictions are being enacted is to protect the health of the people who live in Ontario.

With Ontario introducing a province-wide ban on smoking, including all workplaces, public places, bars, restaurants, casinos and legion halls, the government is finally doing the right thing and taking our health seriously. Hopefully our local newspaper then, will follow suit by continuing to promote positive ways to help smokers quit, and continue to support smokers who want to quit rather than promoting the agenda of a group of people who manufacture tobacco products that are killing members of our communities.

HALTON COUNCIL ON SMOKING OR HEALTH

MICKIE DANIELS

http://www.haltonsearch.com/hr/ob/opinion/letter/story/2459822p-2849887c.html

What does the Smoke Free Ontario Act do?

Employer obligations

The proprietor is also responsible for ensuring that no one remains in an enclosed public place who refuses to comply with the prohibition against smoking.

http://ottawa.cbc.ca/regionalnews/caches/ot-que-smoking20050112.html

The Advocates view of the Ontario Legislation

Traditional Use of Tobacco by Aboriginal Persons

Subsection 13 (2) is amended to permit a person to give tobacco to an aboriginal person who appears less than 25 years of age, if the gift of tobacco is made for traditional aboriginal purposes.

Section 13Automatic Prohibition - Notice

The conditions which must be met for the Minister to send a notice to the person who owns or

occupies a place where two specified offences occurred have been amended to reflect the new

liability of the owner or occupier of a place for the actions of an employee.

Section 16 Human Rights Code amended

A complementary amendment (exemption) is required to the Human Rights Code to ensure that

the provision in this Act concerning the apparent age of an individual required to provide

identification for the purchase of tobacco products does not conflict with the age discrimination

provisions of the Code and to change the reference in the Code from the Tobacco Control Act,

1994 to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act.

Section 18Commencement

This Act comes into force, with the exception of the Display, Handling, Promotion sections and related offence and penalty provisions, on May 31,2006.

http://www.ocat.org/pdf/Bill164Compendium.pdf

Exposing workers to cigarette smoke could be a criminal offence

Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada welcomed Parliament’s adoption of  Bill C-45, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (criminal liability of organizations), that now requires employers and managers to take “reasonable steps to prevent bodily harm” in the workplace. 

The new law, which received Royal Assent on November 7, 2003 adds the following new obligation to the Criminal Code in Section 217.1:

http://www.smoke-free.ca/eng_home/news_press_Dec9-03-c-45.htm

Future Debates: “There’s Still a Long Way to Go, Baby…”

*Shows the advocates want parents charged for abuse for parents who smoke in home, and car.  They won't stop at the present legislation
http://www.nsra-adnf.ca/news_info.php?cPath=53&news_id=198&PHPSESSID=7d09ef7ffe56ef97996f5e9cd7711d0b

COALITION AGAINST TOBACCO TAX EVASION

FOR RELEASE, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2003

TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR OTTAWA TO SUE ‘BIG TOBACCO’ OVER ALLEGED TOBACCO SMUGGLING FRAUD* shows the time has expired for Tobacco smuggling case

Billions in cigarette taxes at stake says new coalition

Minister of Justice and Attorney General Martin Cauchon’s department is not revealing any date when it believes its right to sue expires. “Those who work in tobacco control and follow this issue know that the limitations deadline is, at best, a few short weeks away,” said Garfield Mahood, Executive Director of the Non-Smokers’ Rights Association.

http://www.nsra-adnf.ca/news_info.php?cPath=0&news_id=213&PHPSESSID=848e76ab95416e65e987a95b41c34861

By bruno valle January 11, 2005

Mayor John Street recently announced that one of his main legislative goals for 2005 is the implementation of a smoking ban in Philadelphia's restaurants, bars and other public spaces.

The Philadelphia City Council is currently not in session, but the smoking ban will be one of the possible bills discussed during the first meeting on Jan. 26th.

Student smokers are likely to find their indoor smoking possibilities further limited; University regulations currently prohibit smoking in nonresidential buildings except in certain designated areas.

"Currently, it seems as if there would be little opposition to the ban," said Street spokeswoman Deborah Bolling, "but we can't be sure, since the Council isn't in session."

Bolling added that though some bar or restaurant owners might be opposed to the proposal, they should be open-minded to the bill due to the dangers of second-hand smoke.

The city-wide smoking ban parallels New York City's own 2003 legislation, which was heavily supported by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The ban was opposed by many restaurant owners, but seems to have garnered sufficient support to remain in place.

Internationally, a smoking ban is not a novel concept and has even been embraced by several countries. Starting yesterday, Italy imposed a nationwide smoking ban in all of its enclosed bars and restaurants, following in the footsteps of Norway and Ireland.

The reasons for these initiatives mainly center around health concerns. Every year an average of 400,000 Americans die of smoking-related causes. One in every five deaths in the United States is smoking-related, and an estimated 20 percent of cancer cases could be prevented if research subjects did not smoke.

Cigarette smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Banning smoking

- January 1998 - California begins a trend that other states soon follow by banning smoking in restaurants and bars.

- September 1999 - Maine follows suit and bars smoking in bars and restaurants

- November 2002 - Delaware passes legislation banning smoking in offices, bars, restaurants, casinos and most indoor public spaces.

- March 2003 - New York City adopts a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants. Owners who do not comply risk a $200 fine for their first offense and being shut down for subsequent offenses.

- March 2003 - New York State passes legislation mirroring New York City's ban on smoking in bars and restaurants.

- May 2003 - Boston bans smoking in workplaces, nightclubs, restaurants and bars.

- July 2003 - Lexington, Kentucky passes a smoking ban in restaurants and bars. After a challenge, the state's Supreme Court upheld the ban in April, 2004.

- March 2004 - The California cities of Santa Monica, San Clemente and Solana Beach barred smoking on beaches.

- March 2004 - Ireland passes a smoking ban in pubs, restaurants, workplaces and public transportation.

- November 2004 - Columbus, Ohio residents voted in favor of a proposition banning smoking in public places.

- December 2004 - Philadelphia mayor John Street announced plans to ban smoking in restaurants and other places serving food in the city. The ban will be one of the possible bills discussed once the Philadelphia City Council reconvenes on Jan. 26.

- January 2005 - Italy enacted a nationwide smoking ban in restaurants and bars. Many restaurant and bar owners are currently refusing to carry out the ban.

- Ongoing - In England, lawmakers are now considering a ban on smoking in all "enclosed public spaces." This would include workplaces, restaurants and bars.

-- David Field

http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/01/11/41e38a6c565c6

Cleanup Has Been Ongoing Since 1999

January 9, 2005

POTTSTOWN, Pa. -- The Environmental Protection Agency said Occidental Chemical's decision to close its plant in Montgomery County will not affect the Superfund cleanup at the site.

 The soil and groundwater at the plant have been found to be contaminated with a variety of chemicals, including the potential cancer agents vinyl chloride and trichloroethylene, or TCE.

 A cleanup has been underway since 1999. Last summer the company agreed to pay a $150,000 penalty for alleged environmental violations.

 It also agreed to upgrade its equipment to reduce vinyl chloride emissions, and had the new system up and running for about 30 days before the plant abruptly closed on Tuesday.

 EPA officials said the company told the government it would continue to work to clean the facility of pollutants.

http://www.nbc10.com/news/4065530/detail.html

With one in three homes in Wyoming having Radon levels above that which the Environmental Protection Agency considers acceptable, health officials are asking homeowners to test for the chemical.
Radon is a naturally occuring gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless and can enter a building through the soil.
Exposure to the gas, in elevated levels, can cause an increased risk of lung cancer.
You can contact your local health department about how and where you should test your home for Radon.

http://www.kgwn.tv/home/headlines/1183242.html

Ties between regulators and business are attacked after politician takes top job in industry

New York Jeanne Lenzer

A Congressman who was responsible for an act prohibiting the US federal government from negotiating lower prices with drug companies has retired from Congress to take up a job with the pharmaceutical industry.

Congressman W J "Billy" Tauzin (Republican, Louisiana) announced that he will retire from Congress this month to take over as president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. The group, the main US lobbying organisation for the drug industry, has praised Mr Tauzin for his leading role in crafting President Bush’s Medicare Reform Bill, which contains a provision prohibiting the federal government negotiating with drug companies for lower prices. Critics attacked the provision as a "sweetheart deal" for the drug industry (bmj.com, 29 Nov 2003, News Extra).

As chairman of the House of Representatives’ powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr Tauzin served as an overseer of investigations into drug company fraud and abuse—a position he resigned in February 2004 when it emerged that he was considering a position as a lobbyist for the manufacturers’ association.

Editorials in the Washington Post and elsewhere criticised the "revolving door" ethics of Washington politicians and the industries they are supposed to regulate, when it became known that Mr Tauzin was considering the job. The newspapers also pointed out, however, that there was nothing illegal about Mr Tauzin’s move, as federal law did not prevent legislators from taking jobs with industry.

But although Mr Tauzin will not be allowed to lobby Congress directly, he will still be allowed to lobby the White House, and he can supervise others, instructing them in how to lobby Congress.

Saying that US drug makers have been given a "black eye" because of anger at high prices of drugs and recent recalls of top selling drugs, Mr Tauzin said he wants to help give a better image of drug companies because of his own experience as a patient. Mr Tauzin, who was given a diagnosis of colon cancer in February 2004, said in a recent interview, "I was treated with a miracle drug … The question is what I wanted to do with the new life God has given me. This is the mission I want to take on." (USA Today, 15 Dec 2004, www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2004-12-15-drugs-usat_x.htm)

But some critics say that Mr Tauzin’s enthusiastic endorsement of the drug used to treat his colon cancer, bevacizumab (Avastin), used the sort of hyperbole that has contributed to some drugs being too highly promoted in the past, with the result that they have had to be withdrawn, or their makers have had to issue warnings about them. Allen Shaughnessy, a pharmacologist and professor of family medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, said, "I think it’s unconscionable for him to use his personal experience to hype a drug. The halls of medicine are littered with laetrile and other so called miracle drugs."

Professor Shaughnessy’s concerns are echoed in a recent editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine (2004;350:2406-8), which cautioned that bevacizumab is a "non-curative" treatment that comes with a $42 800 (£22 300; €31 500) price tag and poses its own serious health risks.

Some groups are calling for more restrictions on former politicians who become lobbyists. But Sheldon Krimsky, author of the book Science in the Private Interest, says that the problem of legislation favouring the drug industry won’t be resolved until the industry is prohibited from contributing to political campaigns. "That’s where the quid pro quo exists, and it has to be dealt with at that level," he said.

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/330/7482/60-b?ehom

EDITOR—Policies have the potential to affect the health of populations positively. After non-smoking policies had been adopted and taxation increased, the New York City Department of Health announced on 14 May 2004, that smoking rates were down 11% from 2002 to 2003—the biggest one year drop ever recorded.1

Scollo et al, in their review of the quality of studies on the economic effects of smoke free policies on the hospitality industry, concluded that non-smoking policies had no impact or a positive impact on sales and employment.2 Policy makers can act to protect citizens from the toxins in secondhand smoke and be confident in rejecting industry claims of adverse economic impacts. However, the tobacco industry will expend whatever effort is necessary to thwart policies that would adversely affect consumption of cigarettes and, therefore, profit.3 Coalitions, supported by the tobacco industry, continue to release information claiming negative economic effects.

But what if there was a simple way to show an economic gain by adopting smoke free policies? Health professional associations hold conferences and conventions that have a positive effect on those municipalities where they are held. These economic benefits should reward those that have prioritised health and become smoke free, such as Ireland. In May 2003 the Canadian Public Health Association adopted a resolution to hold its conferences in jurisdictions with smoking restrictions, to urge others to adopt similar resolutions, and to communicate this resolution to potential convention sites (see bmj.com